A/N

Hi I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and will have a happy and fun new years eve.

Thank you so much for all the kind reviews the really do make me smile and encourage me to keep writing :)

Enjoy!

Chapter sixteen

Charlie was woken by the shrill sound of her mobile phone ringing. At first she didn't recognise where she was, but then she noticed Joey's arm stretched out over her stomach and the events from a couple of hours earlier came flooding back. She couldn't help but smile when she turned her head and looked at Joey sleeping next to her.

Her mobile began to ring again, and she very slowly moved Joey's arm, so as not to wake her, to reach for it. But by the time she had finally gotten it out of her jacket pocket, the ringing had stopped. She looked at the display and saw that it was Ruby that had called both times.

She got up and stood awhile debating with herself whether she should call Ruby back or just go back to bed with Joey for a little bit longer. She had to get back to work at some point but she really wasn't ready to part from her yet.

While standing with her mobile in her hand, looking at a sleeping Joey, it rang again. She looked at the display and saw Ruby's name on it. She sighed, she knew that Ruby was probably really worried about her, she should have sent her a text last night, but she had forgotten all about it when she had gone back to talk to Joey. She pressed the answer button and put the phone up to her ear.

"Hi Rubes" was all she managed to say before she got interrupted by Ruby's frantic voice.

"Charlie... where are you? Are you okay? You didn't come home last night and you didn't call, has something happened?"

"Sorry Rubes. Everything is okay, it just got really late last night and I fell asleep at Joey's. Sorry I didn't text you" Charlie spoke quietly, trying not to wake Joey.

"At Joey's... wait Charlz, does that mean that you two finally?... are you two like going out now?" Ruby almost shrieked into the phone.

"Rubes I don't know. I hope so. I'll tell you all about when I get home okay? It won't be long. Then we can sit down and talk during breakfast before I have to go to work. Okay?" Charlie said smiling.

"Okay Charlz but I wanna know every detail. I'll get started on breakfast then. Don't be too long" Ruby said a little disappointed that Charlie wouldn't tell her everything on the phone.

"Ok Rubes. I won't. I'll see you in a bit" Charlie said hanging up the phone, thinking about how to wake Joey to tell her she had to leave, even though she really didn't feel like it.

She was brought out of her thoughts by Joey's voice "What don't you know? and what do you hope for?"

"Omg. Joey you startled me" Charlie turned around and saw Joey sit up in her bed covering her bare breasts with the covers, rubbing her eyes. Charlie reached down to the floor and picked up her shirt from the floor to cover herself, even though she still had her sports bra on, she felt naked and exposed. Both girls looked shyly at each other, not feeling comfortable being half naked in front of each other yet.

"So Charlie were you just gonna leave without saying goodbye?" Joey asked nervously, rising from the bed, with the covers wrapped around her, to get a shirt.

Smiling, Charlie walked over to Joey and put her arms around her neck "no no of course not Jo. I was gonna wake you"

Joey smiled back and put her arms around Charlie's waist under the open shirt "Good. Now what don't you know?"

Charlie looked away feeling a little nervous, not quite knowing how and what to say "well ehhm it was Ruby on the phone, she was just worried about me not coming home last night" she decided to say.

"And..." Joey simply said raising her right eyebrow looking at Charlie. She could feel that there was more to it than what Charlie had just said.

"And... ehhhmm she just got so excited when she heard I slept here and she wanted to know if we're... ehhmm... if we're together now" Charlie almost whispered looking shyly and nervously back at Joey.

Joey just stood smiling, showing her dimples. She thought Charlie looked absolutely adorable when she was shy and nervous "well I hope this will answer your question" she replied pulling Charlie in and kissing her passionately.

Charlie pulled back resting her head on Joey's head trying to catch her breath after the kiss. She looked into Joey's big brown eyes and all she could say was "Wow"

They stood getting lost into pools of blue and brown, not saying anything, just enjoying the closeness of each other, when Charlie's mobile rang again. Charlie sighed, took out her mobile from the pocket in her trousers and looked at the screen.

"Hi Rubes" Charlie sighed

"Charlie I thought you said you were gonna come home for breakfast and not lunch, what is taking you so long?" Ruby asked impatiently.

"Yeah Rubes, I'll be there in five okay? See you in bit" Charlie simply said hanging up the phone.

Frowning she looked at Joey and began to get dressed "I've really got to go home and talk to Ruby, get a shower and some breakfast before I have to go to work. Are we still on for lunch?"

"Yeah sure, wouldn't miss it for a thing. What time" Joey said putting on a tight black tank top, showing off her cleavage and toned arms

Charlie just stood there mesmerised by Joey's beauty. She couldn't take her eyes off her.

"Hello, earth to Charlie" Joey grinned.

"Uhmm what." Charlie blushed when she realised she had been caught ogling Joey.

"I just asked what time you wanna meet up for lunch?" Joey laughed.

"Let's meet in the Diner at One. Is that okay for you?" Charlie asked putting on her jacket, getting ready to leave.

"One is perfect" Joey smiled, but couldn't help but feel a little sad that Charlie was leaving.

"Okay I'll see you then. I've really got to go now" Charlie said giving Joey a quick kiss before walking out the door.

Joey leant up against the now closed door, with a huge smile on her face. She couldn't believe that she had gotten so lucky that a beautiful and stunning girl like Charlie would fall for her. She had never felt this happy before.

She was brought out of her daydreaming by a knock on the door. She turned around and opened the door

"Charlie" was all she managed to say before she felt Charlie's lips on hers. The kiss quickly developed into a long and passionate one.

When the kiss ended it was Joey's turn to be lost for words "Wow" was all she whispered leaning her head on Charlie's with her eyes still closed.

"Yes, Wow. I think that will keep us until lunch now" Charlie grinned letting go of Joey again and stepping down from the doorstep to go home.

Joey smiled back at Charlie "Yeah I think I'll just about manage until lunch now"

Charlie slowly took at few steps backwards still looking at Joey. "And ohh Joey, you look totally hot in that top" she said smiling even more blowing Joey a kiss before turning around to walk towards her car.

Joey just stood with a huge smile plastered all over her face, watching Charlie walk towards her car.

***************

As soon as Charlie walked through the back door into the kitchen, Ruby flung herself around her shrieking "finally you're home. Now tell me everything. I'm dying to hear it all"

She dragged Charlie by her hands over to the kitchen table, where she had put out breakfast for them "Okay, are you gonna tell me? Are you and Joey together?"

Charlie slumped down on one of the kitchen chairs trying to cover up her smile "Geez Ruby, can't I even get some coffee and some breakfast before you interrogate me?"

"Oh sorry Charlz, it's just that I'm so excited for you" Ruby said a little disappointed, walking over to pour a cup of coffee for Charlie.

When she turned around to give Charlie the cup, she saw Charlie grinning at Ruby. "So it went well I gather" Ruby said giving Charlie the cup.

"Yep it did" Charlie said simply, biting into a piece of toast, knowing that it would annoy Ruby that she didn't say more.

"Come on Charlz, don't be so mean, spill the beans" Ruby impatiently said biting into her own piece of toast.

Charlie chuckled at Ruby's impatience "I really don't know what it is you wanna know Rubes"

Ruby eyed Charlie, she didn't find it very amusing that Charlie was teasing her "Charlz stop teasing me. You know very well what I wanna know. Are you and Joey together?"

Charlie laughed at Ruby "Yeah Rubes. We are, but we are taking it slow okay"

Ruby shrieked, jumped up from her chair and leapt over to give her sister a big hug. "I knew it. I'm so happy for you. You deserve some happiness"

"I'm happy too Rubes. She is just so wonderful, beautiful, sweet and loving. I really can't stop thinking about her" Charlie said with a dreamy look on her face.

Ruby grinned at Charlie's expression, sitting back down on her chair to finish breakfast "ohhh you got it bad Charlz"

Charlie finished her coffee and the rest of her toast "yeah I know" she said smiling.

Charlie walked to the sink, putting her plate and cup down, sighing while turning around to look at Ruby, who was still eating. "Rubes thanks for breakfast. I really need to take a shower before I head back to work. It is crazy in there, with all that has happened"

She noticed the happy look on Ruby's face fell and shadows of sadness came over her. "Hey Rubes, are you okay?" Charlie walked over and sat down beside her, stroking Ruby's back gently.

"Yeah Charlz, it's okay. It's just so sad what happened to Martha and it is so strange to think that we are never gonna see her again and I just got scared this morning when you hadn't come home. I thought that something bad had happened to you too" tears starting to run down Ruby's cheeks.

Charlie put her arms around Ruby holding her tight, stroking her back, comforting her, while tears began to fall down her own cheeks "I'm so sorry Rubes, for not calling or texting you to tell you that I was okay. It will never happen again. I promise you, okay? I miss Martha too, so much Rubes. What happened to her was awful and that is why I have to go to work, I'm determined to catch the guy who did this to her"

They sat for a while, hugging and comforting each other. Then they heard a knock on the door and both looked up. They saw Xavier standing in the doorway - he, too, looked lost and sad.

"Hi Xav" they both said, releasing from the embrace they were in. Ruby jumped up from the chair and flung herself around Xavier.

Charlie stood watching the two teenagers comforting each other. Xavier hadn't always been her favourite, he had had a habit of getting into trouble and she didn't think that Ruby needed that. But lately he had matured a lot and they both seemed happy together. Ruby's happiness was all that mattered and, as long as she was happy being with Xavier, she wouldn't stand in the way of that. However, she hadn't forgiven him for letting Ruby walk home alone that night she got attacked, but now was not the time to talk about that.

"Well we better get off to school. Thanks for having breakfast with me Charlz. See you later and give Jo a hug from me when you see her" Ruby said, taking Xavier's hand and dragging him out of the kitchen.

"You're welcome Rubes. You know where to find me if you need me, okay" Charlie shouted after Ruby, standing at the door looking at her little sister waving her hand in the air once to let her know that she was okay now.

Before going to her room to get some fresh clothes, she took out her phone and texted Joey.

'Hi Jo, miss u like crazy already, can't wait to see u again at lunch time... xoxo C.'

She turned around to go take a shower and get dressed for work. She sighed, thinking about how she was going to catch Joey's brother and stop him from killing more girls. She had no idea about what to do. Perhaps she could use herself as bait and try and lure him out of hiding, she thought to herself.